Study record
MOTS-c improves intrinsic muscle mitochondrial bioenergetic health and efficiency in a PGC-1α/AMPK-dependent manner
Gudiksen A, Hansen CC, van der Stede T et al. · Free Radic Biol Med · 2026
What this study reported
Reported that administered MOTS-c was associated with greater skeletal muscle mitochondrial bioenergetic performance in two transgenic mouse strains, with the association depending on both PGC-1α and AMPK. Found no apparent change in mitochondrial respiratory protein content but lower mitochondrial reactive oxygen species emission and less ROS-related protein damage in mouse muscle, with RNA-sequencing pointing to changes in redox handling, mitochondrial integrity and OXPHOS efficiency. Measured no change in arterio-venous difference during one-legged knee extensor exercise in humans despite higher interstitial MOTS-c.
Limitations
Group sizes and participant numbers are not reported in the abstract, the mouse work relies on two genetically modified strains with no sex breakdown given, and the human arm is a small acute exercise measurement without a control condition.
Study record
| Study model | Animal study (in vivo) |
|---|---|
| Substance studied | SeveralMore than one of these is central to the paper (common for reviews). |
| Species | mouse, human |
| System studied | Two transgenic mouse strains lacking PGC-1α or AMPK signalling in skeletal muscle; humans performing one-legged knee extensor exercise |
| Population | adults performing one-legged knee extensor exercise |
| Design | Controlled animal experiment in transgenic strains with an accompanying human exercise measurement study |
| Sample size as reported | Not reported |
| Control group | untreated transgenic and wild-type mice |
| Route (data field only) | Not reported |
| Endpoints measured | skeletal muscle mitochondrial bioenergetic performance; mitochondrial respiratory protein content; mitochondrial reactive oxygen species emission and ROS-related protein damage; muscle RNA-sequencing profile; arterio-venous difference in interstitial MOTS-c during exercise |
| Pathways measured | AMPK signalling · SIRT1 / PGC-1α / biogenesis · Oxidative stress |
| Research areas | Skeletal muscle · Mitochondrial biology · Exercise |
| Evidence tier | C — Animal in vivo |
| Publication types | Journal Article |
Appraisal
Each dimension is recorded separately and never combined into a single score. A study can be well controlled and still tell you little about people.
- Relevance to MOTS-c
- Direct
- Model applicability
- Mammalian
- Sample size
- Not reported
- Controls
- Appropriate
- Outcome validity
- Surrogate
- Support for its own conclusion
- Moderate
Provenance
- Bibliographic fields retrieved from PubMed E-utilities efetch (title, journal, date, authors, DOI) on 2026-11-11.
- Annotated from the published abstract.
- Editorial review: approved (2026-11-11).
- Classification follows the site methodology; the record describes the study, not what MOTS-c does in people.